ARTÍCULO: ON THE DUBIOUS IDENTITY OF BASTIOIDES MELLO-LEITÃO, 1931 (EUPNOI, SCLEROSOMATIDAE, GAGRELLINAE) Ana Lúcia Tourinho-Davis Abstract The monotypic genus Bastioides Mello-Leitão, 1931, and its type species, are here considered nomina dubia. The early juvenile holotype of Bastioides coxopunctatus Mello- Leitão, 1931, does not bear diagnostic characters allowing its recognition and attribution to any gagrelline taxon, although its position in the Gagrellinae is confirmed. The holotype is redescribed and detailed figures are given for the first time. Key words:Harvestmen, Sclerosomatidae, Gagrellinae, Bastioides, systematics, taxonomy, Brazil, Atlantic forest. ARTÍCULO: Taxonomy: Bastioides Mello-Leitão, 1931, nomen dubium On the dubious identity of Bastioides Mello-Leitão, 1931 Sobre la identidad dudosa de Bastioides Mello-Leitão, 1931 (Eupnoi, Sclerosomatidae, (Eupnoi, Sclerosomatidae, Gagrellinae) Gagrellinae) Resumen En el presente trabajo el género monotípico Bastioides Mello-Leitão, 1931, y su especie Ana Lúcia Tourinho-Davis tipo son considerados nomina dubia. El holotipo de Bastioides coxopunctatus Mello- Departamento de Invertebrados Leitão, 1931 es un ejemplar extremadamente juvenil que no proporciona ningún carácter Laboratório de Aracnologia diagnostico útil que permita atribuir la especie a algún taxón dentro de los Gagrellinae Museu Nacional/UFRJ a no ser su ubicación subfamiliar. Se redescribe el holotipo, proporcionando por primera Quinta da Boa Vista, vez figuras detalladas del mismo. São Cristóvão, 20.940-040, Palabras clave: Opiliones, Sclerosomatidae, Gagrellinae, Bastioides, sistemática, taxonomía, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil Brasil, selva atlántica. [email protected] Taxonomía: Bastioides Mello-Leitão, 1931, nomen dubium Revista Ibérica de Aracnología ISSN: 1576 - 9518. Dep. Legal: Z-2656-2000. Vol. 7, 30-VI-2003 Introduction Sección: Artículos y Notas. Pp: 241–245 The Gagrellinae of the Atlantic forest of Brazil have been revised as part of a taxonomic project on the New World species (Tourinho, 2000; Tourinho & Kury, Edita: 2001; Tourinho-Davis & Kury, submitted). This rich gagrelline fauna includes Grupo Ibérico de Aracnología species currently attributed to seven genera: Prionostemma Pocock, 1903, (GIA) Holcobunus Roewer, 1910, Geaya Roewer, 1910, Pectenobunus Roewer, 1910, Grupo de trabajo en Aracnología Garleppa Roewer, 1912, Bastioides Mello-Leitão, 1931 and Jussara Mello-Leitão, de la Sociedad Entomológica Aragonesa (SEA) 1935. However, it should be noted that many of these species are misplaced. For Avda. Radio Juventud, 37 example, of the three species of Garleppa recorded to this region, one has been 50012 Zaragoza (ESPAÑA) transferred to Jussara (Tourinho-Davis & Kury, submitted) and the other two Tef. 976 324415 Fax. 976 535697 belong to Pectenobunus. Also, some 70 % of the species referred to Prionostemma C-elect.: [email protected] should be transferred to Pectenobunus, and the remainder, along with the species Director: A. Melic placed in Geaya, constitute a natural group representing a new genus not yet formally described (Tourinho-Davis, unpublished data). Información sobre suscripción, The single species of the genus Bastioides, B. coxopunctatus, was described índices, resúmenes de artículos on by Mello-Leitão (1931), on the basis of a juvenile holotype. There is very few line, normas de publicación, etc. en: information about the juveniles morphology and instars development in Scleroso- matidae, Cokendolpher (1980) has contributed with the idea of describing both Página web GIA: http://entomologia.rediris.es/gia adults and immature of Leiobuninae, improving the morphological knowledge of juveniles species of the genus Eumesosoma Cokendolpher, 1980. Página web SEA: The juveniles of most species of Gagrellinae, as in B. coxopunctatus, have http://entomologia.rediris.es/sea very similar morphology. Color pattern, shape, size, and some diagnostic characters are not developed depending of the early instars (Tourinho & Kury, 2001). They generally have spines, apophyses, lobes and processes, usually present in the eye mound, basal segments of legs, genital operculum, supracheliceral lamina, and sometimes in the penis at the stylus area (Tourinho-Davis & Kury, submitted). These spines, apophyses, lobes and process are usually longer in the adults than it is in the juveniles (sometimes twice as long), as the sharp spines in the eye mound 242 Ana Lúcia Tourinho-Davis of both Prionostemma farinosum Mello-Leitão, 1938 Bastioides coxopunctata Mello-Leitão, 1931: 116; and Prionostemma u-sigillatum Mello-Leitão, 1938, the 1932: 437; 1938: 332; Roewer, 1953: 253; Ringue- tibial and patellar apophyses of several species of let, 1954: 287; Jussara, and type species of Holcobunus, Holcobunus Bastioides coxopunctatus Crawford, 1992: 13. nigripalpis Roewer, 1910 (all of these characters are TYPE MATERIAL. MNRJ 1360, 1 juvenile holotype, twice longer in the adults). Sometimes when the spine, Brazil, Bahia, Ilhéus, E. May leg. apophyses, lobes and process are very small in the juveniles they can be absent in the adult, it can be REDESCRIPTION: observed in many species of Jussara and Pectenobunus. Holotype. Body: 6.3 mm, carapace: 1.9 mm, dorsal They often have irregular markings and shiny white scute: 3.6 mm, chelicerae: 2.2 mm, pedipalps: 3.5 mm, spots arranged in pairs on the dorsal scute and free undeveloped penis: 1.8 mm. tergites. In alcohol the markings tend to be beige and Color. Body light chestnut; apical portion of patella and the spots vanish. tarsus white. Pedipalps and chelicerae pale yellow. The position of Bastioides in Gagrellinae is Dorsal view (Fig 1). Surface granular. Anterior margin confirmed by the presence of nodules on the femora of of carapace almost straight. Supra-cheliceral lamina the legs, a diagnostic character for this subfamily unarmed. Eye mound unarmed. (Roewer, 1910; SEM photo in Tourinho & Kury, 2001). Ventral view (Fig 2). Surface granular. Arculi genitales This genus was erected by Mello-Leitão (1931) on the III unarmed. basis of its unique arrangement of femoral nodules, Chelicerae (Fig 4). Ventrobasal spine of basichelicerite 0/5/0/1. This follows Roewer`s (1910, 1923, 1953) with an irregular outline and four small processes. system of using the number of nodules as the main Pedipalps (Fig 5). Trochanter, femur, patella, tibia and criterion for species assignment to genera in Gagrelli- tarsus unarmed. Inner apophysis of patella unarmed, nae. In his concept the species grouped in the same longer than wide, as long as patella. Inner apophysis of genus must share the same number of nodules in the tibia unarmed, three times shorter than patella. femora I-IV. The flaws of Roewer’s methodology were Legs. Femoral formula 0/5/0/1. discussed by different authors (Martens, 1987; Coken- Penis. Underdeveloped, not bearing diagnostical dolpher & Hunt, 1993; Tourinho, 2000; Tourinho & generic characters. Kury, 2001), and it is now widely known that the Type locality: Brazil; Bahia; Ilhéus. number of femoral nodules is highly variable, with Distribution: known only from the type locality. many possible combinations, even within a species. The use of the number of femoral nodules as the Discussion main diagnostic character supporting gagrelline genera has led to the creation of many artificial genera in both B. coxopunctatus was collected at Ilhéus, the most the New and Old World. The nodular combination important city of the cacao farming area in southeastern system has hindered the study of the richer morphologi- Bahia. The traditional cacao plantations are cultivated cal features offered by genital morphology, plus detai- amidst the Atlantic forest that covers most of the region. led examination of the external morphology in this Although almost all of the understory of the forest is subfamily (Tourinho & Kury, 2001). replaced by cacao trees, many of the highest trees are kept for shade. So, at least part of the original fauna and Material and methods flora are preserved in the cacao farming area. This region has been continuously explored for cacao Terminology of external morphology followed Tourin- farming since the last decade of the nineteenth century. ho & Kury (2001) and Tourinho-Davis & Kury (sub- The gagrelline fauna of Bahia, the most southern of the mitted). Northeastern states, is poorly known and has scanty Acronyms of depositories are MNRJ = Museu representation in scientific collections when compared Nacional/UFRJ. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Curator: Dr to the South and Southeastern region. However, at least Adriano B. Kury. four different gagrelline species have been collected at the cacao farming region where B. coxopunctatus is Systematic accounts found: two species of Jussara and three species belon- ging to two, as yet undescribed, genera (Tourinho, Bastioides Mello-Leitão, 1931 nomen dubium 2000). The species from the northeastern Brazil, as it is Bastioides Mello-Leitão, 1931: 116; 1938: 332; Roe- the case of B. coxopunctatus, are usually larger in size wer, 1953: 253; Ringuelet, 1954: 287, Crawford, than almost all the species from the southeast, one 1992:13. exception is Jussara obesa (the female), juveniles of TYPE SPECIES. this species are of course larger than the juveniles of the Bastioides coxopunctatus Mello-Leitão, 1931 by mo- same stage of smaller Southeast species. notypy and original designation. The highly variation of nodules is observed in Bastioides coxopunctatus Mello-Leitão, 1931 nomen many genera of Gagrellinae. Distinct species